Open tank heating system with flow control



Feb. 1940' E. s. CORNELL, JR 7 2,189,941

OPEN TANK HEATING SYSTEM WITH FLOW CONTROL Filed Sept. 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (3%. v7 l 20 J lj Q Edward S. CornelLJr.

5W H\S ORNEY Feb 13, 1940. E. s. CORNELL. JR 2,139,941

OPEN TANK HEATING SYSTEM WITH FLOW CONTROL Filed Sept. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIL nmiiuhnmgu INVENTOR Edward 5. Camel LJr.

HIS O NEY Patented Feb, 13, 1940 I qum'rao S ATES ores rssxnnsrmo svs'rm wrrn snow "@comor.

I Edward 8. Cornell, Jr., Larehmont, N. signer, I

by mesne assignments, to American Radiator} Standard Sanitary Corporation;

N. Y., aco'rporation oiDelaw are evr York,

Application September 2, 1 938, No. 228181 .This invention relates heating systems.- In particular, the invention relates to open tank type hot water heating systems which, ac-

. such periods of quiescence of the water circu-,

cording to conventional practice, may include a boiler or other hot water generating means, piping for affording a circulation of the hot water to and from radiators serving to heat the building or other, enclosure, and a correlated water circulatory system embodying the. common boiler and a heat exchanger for generating hot water for domestic use. l

It is an object of the invention to providev a .hot water heating system whereby duringsuch periods when the heating eflect oi the radiatorsis not desired, the common boiler may be used to provide a continuous supply of hot water for tor piping system, a power driven pump or equivalent means for enforcing circulation to and from the radiators. Such pump may be driven by an electric-motor, the periods oi operation and quiescence oi such motor being underthe control of a room thermostat embodying ether-- mostaticaily operated make and break' switch in the electric power line serving such pump motor.

Inthe heating system forming the subject matter of the present invention, flow control valve means are provided whereby during the stageoi enforced water circulation, such stage being controlled, as aforesaid, by the operation of the room thermostat, iree'flowoi' water to and from the radiators is afforded, and circulation of; water from the boiler to and from the domestic water supply heat exchanger is maintained in full operative status. The stated flow valve means is automatically operable, during 7 lating pump, to precludeflow of hot water to and from the radiators, while permitting free flow of hot water from the boiler to the domestic hot water supply heat exchanger. l

l Such flow control means may be of the gravity bias valvetype, described and claimed in my presently co-pending application Serial No. 228,086,

applicable any til 0! heatingsystem.

section, detailingthe valve disk the adjustment therefor.

1 Claim;- (o earer.)

tiled Sept. 5, 1938, entitled Improved gravitybiased 110W valve." Such flow valve is desirably located in a boileroutdow main leading directly from the boiler to the radiator supply main, and in particular, the flow control valve is located intermediate such point of connection of the boiler outflow main with the radiator supply main and apoint ot connectionv oi thestated boiler outflow main with the domestic water supply heat-exchange unit. With such arrangement or equivalent, it will be obvious that the automatic closing of the flow control valve during periods of quiescence-oi the, circulator does not aiiect, in any degree, the circulation oi-hot water to andirom the domestic water supp y heat exchange unit. I I l The circulatingipump is desirably of a type through when in inoperative, i. eL, non pumping,

. status. A reverse thermo-syphonic new from the boiler to the radiators, the tendency to such:

reason of the checkvalve action of the. how

control valve.

altering minimum resistance to: :ilow 'there- 5 As above stated, the heating system is 01' the.

open tanktype. Such open tank, in accordance with conventional practice, has a connection with the radiator circulatory system, thus accommodating the expansion of water within the generation or excessive pressures within the Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. l

.In the accompanying drawingso Fig.1 is a diagrammatic representational a heating system embodying the present invention:

vFig. .2 is a sectional elevation of a form 0! flow control valve-applicable to the present invention, said valve being illustrated in closed position system. Suitable overflow means preventsthey Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2, illus trating the valve maintained. in open position, through the agency of suitable valve adjustment means;

Fig. 4 is a plan view ot'the valve, illustrating the valve in closedposition; and

Fig. 5 is an elevatio'noi the valve, partly in pivot means and 50 Referring to Fig. i, a heating system, ap-

plicable for heating a plurality of rooms it, comprises any conventional type of boiler or other heat generator II, and one or more radiators 12, said radiators. being apart of a water cirmonths, which make it undesirable to have hot culating system including a boiler outflow main l3, radiator supply mains l4, radiator return mains l5, and a boilerreturn connection I;

In accordance with conventional practice, branch risers, I40 and return branches Ma connect each radiator to the respective supp and return mains.

spectively with the supply main l4 and the return main l5; however, piping connection II or I! may be eliminated, if desired. The overflow tank has connected thereto a suitable overflow pipe 20, which may lead to an external discharge point or to any other convenient means for accommodating the overflow of water from said tank. When the overflow tank is of the automatic refill type, a cold water supply line 2! may be connected to the domestic water supply line of the building served by the heating system.

For maintaining a desired temperature condi-- tion within the building, there is provided a suitable thermostat 22, located, in accordance with accepted practice, in a room or enclosure of which the temperature may be considered as typical of the temperatures desired in other rooms of the building. By suitable proportioningof the heat output of the radiators l2, the maintenance of a desired temperature within the room in which the thermostat is located may maintain an equivalent desired temperature in other rooms containing radiators l2.

The positive circulation of heated water from the boiler to and from the radiators I2 is attained by a circulating pump 23. Such pump is desirably electric motor driven, and the room thermostat 22 may constitute a thermally operated make and break switch interposed in series electrical connection in an electrical circuit comprising the leads 24 and power line 25, the latter representing a suitable power supply line, such as the domestic lighting supply. Thus, the motor 26 of the circulator 23 will be electrically energized during periods in which the thermostat 22 is calling for heat; in other words, during periods in which the temperature in the room III is below the minimal temperature setting of the thermostat 22. Upon the attainment of the maximal thermostat setting, the breaking of the electric circuit halts the operation of the motor 26, and halts the enforced circulation of hot water to the radiators i2.

The heating system may further include a correlated circulatory system, a function of which may be the generation of hot water for domestic water supply. As illustrated in Fig. 1 such correlated system may include the heat exchanger 30, of any conventional design, and supplied with a continuous flow of hot water from the boiler l I through the supply connection 3| and the return connection 32. The heat exchanger 30 effects an interchange of heat with the domestic water supply, said water supply heat exchange system including the circulatory piping 33, 33, and any suitable storage reservoir or tank 34. The pipe line diagrammatically represents the connection between the tank 34 and the hot water line of the domestic water supply system.

It is a feature of the present invention that the boiler ll may be employed for continuously heating domestic hot water regardless of room temperature conditions, during winter or summer water flow to any of the radiators l2.

To effect such correlated and yet independent operation of the building heating system and the domestic hot water supply generation system, there is employed a flow control valve 40, illustrated in detail in Figs..2 and 3, and desirably installed in the boiler outflow main l3 intermediate the connection of such main l3 with the radiator supply mains l4 and the point of connection of the heat exchanger supply pipe 3! with the boiler outflow main or equivalent location affording continuous water flow to the heat exchanger 33.

' Referring to Fig. 2, the flow control valve 40 includes a suitable valve body of desired size, the ends of which are arranged for suitable connection with the radiator supply mains l4 and with the boiler outlet line l3. Desirably, the valve body is of brass, copper, or similar metal adaptable; for a sweat jointed, i. e., soldered, con nection with a copper boiler outlet main l3 and supply main i4; obviously, one or both ends may be screw threaded.

A suitable valve seat 43 is provided substantially intermediate the valve body. Such valve seat may be integral with the valve body, as illustrated in Fig. 2, or may be of the removable type shown in one embodiment of my stated presently co-pending application Serial No. 228,086, filed Sept. 2, 1939. The valve seat 43 is preferably inclined in the direction of flow of water, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Such inclination is preferably of the order of 20 degrees.

For cooperation with the valve seat 43 in controlling the flow of water through the valve 40, there is employed a valve disk 44, desirably of integral metal of substantial weight. Such valve disk is arranged for swinging, i. e., pivotal, mounting by means of a pivoted supporting tongue 45 which may be secured to the valve disk by the cotter-pin .46 and a neck 41 formed in the valve disk 44. Such tongue 45 is pivotally secured to the valve body by means of a pin 48, said pin being inserted into suitable openings in walls of a housing of the valve body. To secure the said pin 43 in a manner precluding leakage of water from the valve 40. there may be employed a suitable packing screw 5| having an elongated body formed with a relatively fine screw thread. As illustrated, such screw 5| may have a central aperture 52 into which an end of the pin 48 may extend. Such central aperture provides for the extended threading of the screw 5| while permitting, also, an elongation of the pin 48, to facilitate the grasping of the pin during the removal or insertion thereof.

The weight of the valve disk 44 is such that it will remain closed, under all conditions of water temperature in the boiler, when the pump 23 is not operating to produce a velocity of water flow through the system suitable to overcome the gravity bias of the valve disk and move the disk into open position. Obviously, the weight of the valve disk should be such as will permit the disk to close, upon cessation of pump operation, against the thermo-syphonic circulation of the water in the system, and the resistance to closing afforded by friction in the pivot pin 48. Thus, immediately upon cessation of pump operatlon, further flow of water to the radiators i2 is halted, whereas hot water may uninterruptedly flow from the boiler H to and through the heat exchanger 30.

I have found that an upward inclination of vides satisfactory-"operation of the valve disk under the above stated conditions. Such. inclinetion of the valve disk appreciably lessens the "resistance to water flow during the first stages of operationof the pump, by minimizing the; abruptnessof change ct-direction of water flow-r through v.ishe-waive *duringasuch stages of partial" valve opening. Such vaive seatincli'nation, also. lessens the degree of 'anguIarmovement o! the .valve disk requisite toreafiordingmliriiowcapacity g I s phonic circulation through the system. The

weight 015 the valve disk It prevents an upward supporting tongue 45, a lever ot order. Therefore, consideringthe center of mass for the valve disk-Ill tjo.-b'e the load on the lever,

sistance to rotation of theiever upwardly about its fulcrum. The relative position of the center of mass with respect to its fulcrum afforded by an inclination of the valve disk 0! the order of 20 degrees represents a most efllcient relation of weight arm to force arm consonant with the advantages derived from minimum resistance to water flow and minimum change of wateri flow direction through :the valve body.

In accordance with conventional practice, the expansion tank I! is located at a high pointv of. the heating system. In" the piping arrangementillustrated in Fig. 1, the pibvision for circulation from the supply main lttogpm tank i'i and thence to the return mam or ates a thermosyphon leg whichsiserves tbjeifiiedite thermosyphonic flow through *th'e heatihgsystem. Such piping arrangement .is immensely effective. in

" the event that powerfailiire in other abnormal condition prevents the operatidn-df the pump 23; Although the pump 23 is desi'rablybf such design that it. presents minimumresistance to the free flow of water therethrough; itis obviousthat resistance is present, and theinducemfihttd ther 'mo-syphonic circulation afforded by thestated, expansion tank piping 'arrangemedtdnsuresadequate circulation through tlife heating system. 'ra' render the now contiol valve inoperative during such instances where thermo-syphonlc I circulation is necessary, there-h provided a suitable adjustment screw I52 the screw being disposed in operatlve relationship to a depending lug 53 iormedas a part ofthe valve disk mounting tongue 45., As indicated in- Fig. 3, suitable positioning of the,adjustnieut screw 52 serves to maintain the valve disksfl in full open status, or

cordance with conventional practice, suitable known means may beprovided' whereby the water temperature within the boiler may be maintained at any desired point consistent with the water.

Ipressureresulting from the elevation of the tank 11. In a conventional residence system where such tank elevation may be 01' the orderoi 15 feet above the highest radiator, the water temperature afforded by the resultant water pressurewill be of the order of 225 degrees F.

f'I -he maintenance 01' an elevated water temcondition within the boiler I i results in a strong'natural tendency toward thermo-sythermo-syphonic flow of water through the valve, whereas the check valve action of the valve 0 prohibits a reverse syphonic circulations Ininitiating the operation of the system, flow valve '40 maybe held in open position by operatlon of the, rew 52,1:0 permit entrained or dissolved air to be driven through the system into the invention."

.1 claim:

A heating system, comprising a boiler for genoperatively associated with said boiler and including a vertically disposed boiler outflow main,

a supply main served by said outflow main (or.

conducting heated water to radiator means, and a return main for conducting cooled water from said radiator means to said boiler; an open ex pansion tank in operative association with said circulation system and disposed at a high point of said heating system; normally closed valve means disposed in said vertically arranged outflow main to aflord a substantially rectilinear path of upward flow of water through said outflow main and said valve, said valve means in-. eluding valve seat means inclined upwardly in the dir tion of water flow and disposed transversely 0 said upward flow oi! water through said suiting hot water, a water circulation system valve and freely swingable weighted valve disc means pivotally mounted adjacent a low point of said valve seat means; pump means operatively associated with said water circulation system i'or positively moving said valve disc means from its normally closed position to a substantially iully open position substantially parallel to the path of water flow throughsaid valve; and thermostat means responsive to heat emission from said radiator means for controlling the periods of operation 01 said pump means.

EDWARD Jr. 

